Christmas for Project Managers
18 December, 2014
Is Santa Claus a Project Manager? Does he face ridiculous scope demands and impossible schedules? In short, is he the ultimate Project Manager?
2014 Articles
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Learning the Inputs, Tools/Techniques and Outputs
15 December, 2014
If you are studying for the PMP exam, how do you get your head around the 251 inputs, 204 tools and techniques and 152 outputs? Certainy do not try learning by rote.
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Defining Strategy
11 December, 2014
If you think that a strategy is just a high-level plan, then think again. There are some important subtleties, such as the potential for conflict and the need for strategic alliances.
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Activity on Arrow Diagrams
08 December, 2014
This guide shows how to navigate Activity on Arrow diagrams. This will help students deal with such questions in the PMP exam.
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Finding Dependencies
04 December, 2014
The Precedence Diagramming Method is based on finding dependencies, but make sure you do not add resource constraints too early in the process.
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Avoiding using Ultimata in Project Management
01 December, 2014
Using threats to get things done is always a bad idea. Project managers should avoid the "do this or else" approach. Backing team members into corners can be very unproductive.
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Taking the Project Team where It Wants to Go
27 November, 2014
When you set about acquiring the project team, do you take the time to get to know potential candidates? Do you consider how this project could develop their careers? Maybe you should!
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The Project Management Triple Constraint
24 November, 2014
The Triple Constraint is not mentioned in the PMBOK Guide - why not? Basically, it is because three constraints are just not enough.
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Developing the Project Team
20 November, 2014
How do you get a project team to gel effectively? The important thing is to set the bar high and lay down your expectations from the start.
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How to Pass the PMP® Exam?
17 November, 2014
Velopi has been training PMP exam candidates for years. What is the secret to passing the PMP exam? Read on ...
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Putting Order on Risks
13 November, 2014
How do you go about prioritizing risks? Even if there are standard risk assessment tables available in your industry, remember to assess risks in terms of your own project. After all, every project is unique.
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Being the new Project Manager on the Block
10 November, 2014
Being hired into a company at Project Manager level is difficult. This article contains useful tips to make your new role successful.
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Why Get Project Management Certification?
06 November, 2014
Why should you go to the bother of obtaining formal project management certification? If you are convinced, then maybe our practical, QQI cert is exactly what you need?
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Catch the Next Generation Project Managers Young
03 November, 2014
If you work in a project-type environment, it makes sense to become familiar with project management Even if you never become a project manager, you will become a better project team member.
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The Core Project Management Process
30 October, 2014
In the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, the process "Direct and Manage Project Work" does not stand out. However, a clear understanding of this process will highlight the Project Manager's responsibilities after planning is done.
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Project Management on the River Kwai
27 October, 2014
What project management lessons are there to be learned from watching the movie Brigdge on the River Kwai? The most sobering is, no matter how successful aproject is, it must align with corporate strategy.
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Blowing our own Trumpet
23 October, 2014
Velopi provides more than project management training courses; we support Project Managers throughout their careers, particularly when they seek professional qualifications.
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Handling Project Risks
20 October, 2014
Identifying risks is all well and good, but it is the planning of your risk responses that really benefits your project.
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The Salient Point
16 October, 2014
One of the Stakeholder Analysis techniques given in the PMBOK Guide is the Salience Model. This article illustrates how this model looks and how to use it.
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The Meaning of Success
13 October, 2014
What is a successful project? When can we declare it a success? When we hand the deliverable over to operations? When the delverable succeeds in the marketplace? When it proves its worth in service?
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The Uncertainty Principle
09 October, 2014
If you believe in Murphy's Law, should you still practice risk management? We argue that you should.
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Conducting the Post Mortem
06 October, 2014
Project managers should learn from their experiences, which is why project reviews, or post-mortems are critical. This article provides some guidance.
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Change Management for Project Managers
02 October, 2014
People are reluctant to change. Projects are change agents. Therefore Project Managers need to appreciate the need to guide stakeholders through the change process.
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The Project Manager’s Vital Statistics
29 September, 2014
Project Managers should be aware of their organization's Balanced Scorecard and what metrics they need to produce to show how the project aligns with organizational strategy.
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What Should Project Managers Know?
25 September, 2014
Project management is meant to be a protable skill. Yet the job descriptions nearly always insist on domain knowledge and experience in a particular industry. Is this really necessary?
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Managing Upwards: Are You the Problem?
22 September, 2014
If you have a less than successful relationship with your manager, could it be that the fault lies with you and how you are engaging with your boss?
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Managing Upwards
18 September, 2014
Managing the team is a project management process defined in the PMBOK Guide. However, managing your manager falls under Managing Stakeholder Expectations. Learning lessons from one process though can be applied in the other.
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Breaking Bad News
15 September, 2014
Breaking bad news is one of the downsides of project management. However, a clear, objective approach can yield benefits by getting the message across clearly and laying out what happens next.
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Rolling Wave Project Planning
11 September, 2014
What is Rolling Wave planning and how does it differ from incremental and iterative planning? Are they the same thing, or are there subtle differences?
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Involving the Group in Project Planning
08 September, 2014
Brainstorming sessions are supposed to spontaneous and promote free thining. However, the wise Project Manager needs to put a lot of thought and preparation in to get best results.
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Baselines in Project Management
04 September, 2014
What are project baselines? This article explains the term and hw they are maintained throughout the course of a project.
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Coping with Unemployment as a Project Manager
01 September, 2014
Unemployment can be a very traumatic experience. However, Project Managers are better placed than most to apply their skills outside the workplace. Here are some ideas to cope with being out of work.
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Managing Change in Projects
28 August, 2014
Projects are change agents, so it is only fair that Project Managers should be responsive to change in their own projects. The main thing is to understand the consequences and replan as necessary.
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Back to (Project Management) School
26 August, 2014
Velopi's next PMP training courses will be held nationwide in late September / October. Book early, as our Dublin course in September has been booked out!
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Being a Facilitating Project Manager
25 August, 2014
Facilitation techniques are important in project management. This article discusses the Project Manager's role in facilitating a brainstorming session or a facilitated workshop.
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Recovering a Project
21 August, 2014
Why should you pursue formal project management training? To be able to deal with different situations - Project Management Professionals are more versatile and more adaptable when new situations arise.
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Project Managers Should Never Say No
18 August, 2014
Instead of refusing change requests that affect our triple constrinats, Project Managers need to come back with alternatives and let stakeholders know of the consequences of the change.
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Project Evaluation and Review Technique
14 August, 2014
The Project Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) dates back to the 1950's. This article explain what it is and how similar it is to the Critical Path Method.
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What Project Managers Do
11 August, 2014
In may seem obvious, but Project Managers need to manage rather than do in projects. Thus a Project Manager should spend more time in Monitoring / Controlling activities than in Executing.
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The Project Management Office
07 August, 2014
The Project Management Office might be the answer to ensuring consistency across your organization's portfolio. This article shows the different flavours of PMO possible and emphasizes that this is a strategic move.
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Project Management Quality - Joseph M. Juran
04 August, 2014
Project Quality Management is a vital component of Project Management. In this article we pay tribute to one of the pioneers in the area, Joseph M. Duran.
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Project Management Information Systems
31 July, 2014
What is a Project Management Information System? Is it a single, unified software system or does it more accurately describe any collection of software packages that support the project management effort?
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Set Based Design
28 July, 2014
This explains one of the techniques used to support the Lean Principle of deciding as late as possible. Set-based Design involves delaying design decisions until all the contraints are known.
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Where Deliverables Fit In
24 July, 2014
How do the deliverables from your projects fit in with the overall corporate strategy? This article introduces the idea of the Benefits Breakdown Structure which links deliverables up through several levels to strategy.
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Where Projects Come From
21 July, 2014
How does your project fit into the bigger picture? How can you ensure your project does not get terminated by being aware of the overall corporate strategy?
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The Program Management Professional (PgMP)® Exam
17 July, 2014
If you are interested in the Program Management Professional accrediation, this article will be of interest. It describes the exam and the types of questions to expect.
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Project Management: Finding out Why
14 July, 2014
When somethinng goes wrong on a project, it is vital to find out why. This article provides an introduction to root cause analysis and the use of Ishakawa Diagrams.
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Project Management: A Benefits Focus
10 July, 2014
The main difference between projects and programs is that Project Managers seek to produce deliverables, while Program Managers want to provide benefits. This article exxplains what benefits are and how they can help Project Managers.
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The Governance Board
07 July, 2014
One of the areas of concern for program management is governance. This article explains the composition and purpose of a program's Governannce Board.
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Beyond the Project
03 July, 2014
This article is an introduction to program management, describing what happens when the work needed to be done is really too big to be managed as an individual project.
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Walking the Critical Path
30 June, 2014
The Critical Path Method is an effective way of determining a project's schedule. Learn the basics in this article.
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On Schedule
26 June, 2014
There is more to putting a schedule together than rushing straight into preparing a Gantt chart. Learn about the groundwork that needs to be done first.
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Great Expectations
23 June, 2014
A project can only really be considered a success if it meets the customer's expectations. But what are these? Even the customer is often unsure!
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Responsibility Assignment Matrix
19 June, 2014
The Responsibility Assignment Matrix is a valuable tool for project managers as they tackle Project Human Resource Management planning. This article shows the different notations possible.
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Project Work Breakdown Structure
16 June, 2014
The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is an important technique for Project Scope Management. This simple example shows how to develop one and what its limitations are.
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Analysing Stakeholders
12 June, 2014
The PMBOK Guide does list the best practices to use, but we need to get more detail if we are to use these tools and techniques effectively. Here are some ideas for analysing stakeholders.
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Manage and Control
09 June, 2014
As we approach the first anniversary of the PMBOK Guide fifth edition being used for the PMP exam, we take a critical look at the new Project Stakeholder Management knowledge area.
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What Happens Next?
05 June, 2014
As a project manager, do you only consider your products or services as far as the point you deliver them and hand them over to maintenance? Thinking in terms of the entire product lifecycle can yield benefits.
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Integration
01 June, 2014
Why is project management valuable? We integrate all the other management aspects together and provide a holistic perspective on the project.
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Over and Out: Closing a Project
29 May, 2014
What must you do to close a project formally? This article covers the items you need to remember.
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Are we There Yet?
26 May, 2014
When does the work of a project end? Sadly, it is often not very cut and dried, so project managers need to consider acceptance criteria much earlier in the project than you might think.
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Are we Finished Planning?
22 May, 2014
When can we, as project managers, say we are finished planning? This article lists precisely what to check for.
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Are We Ready to Start?
19 May, 2014
Before getting stuck into a project, what needs to be in place before a project manager can begin planning?
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Getting PMP® Certification: Bridging the Gap
15 May, 2014
Have you taken a PMP exam preparation course? Have you not taken the exam? Well get back up to speed with Velopi's bridging course.
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Applying for the PMP© Exam
12 May, 2014
What are the steps necessary when applying for the Project Management Professional (PMP) exam?
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Being a Project Manager
09 May, 2014
Have you been promoted recently to a project management role? This article outlines what you can expect to encounter within your new role.
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The Project Manager’s Power and Influence
05 May, 2014
As a project manager, what level of power and influence do you really have? Factors like organization type, the nature of the project and the team all affect how you can influence matters.
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Requirements Triage
02 May, 2014
If you have to deal with long lists of requirements, how do you tackle them? This article is based on the thoughts of Al Davis.
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How to Project Manage within a Bureaucracy
28 April, 2014
The bureaucracy is one of the oldest forms of organisation. Learn about its strengths and weaknesses and how to cope with it as a project manager.
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Contract Types
25 April, 2014
When should you opt for what contract type? The type of contract needs to be chosen carefully - different types suit different procurements.
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Free Resources for Project Managers - Velopi Articles, Part 2
23 April, 2014
The nuts and bolts of effective project management are available as 38 discrete written articles from Velopi. This article serves as a contextual index for all 38 of these free resources for project managers.
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Learning Lessons
21 April, 2014
Projects are feedback loops. Learn from your experience and apply your knnowledge to future projects.
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Getting a Good Deal
18 April, 2014
When dealing with third-party suppliers to your project, ensure that you understand what you are looking for. You will not be able to decide if you got a good result if you're not sure what that result should be.
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Free Resources for Project Managers - Velopi Articles Part 1
15 April, 2014
We have posted many articles over the years. This provides an index to the ones related to career paths and course options.
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Wrapping Up the Project
13 April, 2014
It is the little things that make the difference between a happy customer and someone who will never do business with you again. Make sure you close out your projects properly!
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Managing Bullies on Projects
11 April, 2014
Bullying in the workplace is common. Learn how to deal with bullying bosses and bullies on your project team.
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Tracking the Budget
07 April, 2014
In real world projects, things rarely go completely according to plan. Use earned value forecasting formulae to revise your budgets during the course of the project.
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Basic Earned Value: What does it Mean?
04 April, 2014
How to use earned value to track project progress. This article contains helpful worked examples of the basic earned value management formulae.
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Gantt Charts
30 March, 2014
Learn how to move from the critical path method you learned on your PMP course to applying this using Microsoft Project.
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Group Decisions in Projects
28 March, 2014
How you make decisions during projects depends on yourself, your team and your project.
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Happy St. Patrick’s Day
17 March, 2014
Many foreigners believe that St. Patrick became Ireland’s patron saint because he invented Guinness. This is not the case, although if Arthur Guinness ever is declared a saint, it is possible that Patrick might lose his patron saint status.
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Communication Channels
14 March, 2014
Anyone who is preparing to take the Project Management Professional (PMP)® exam will be aware that there are a handful of formulae to be learned. Most of these relate to earned value analysis and estimating (remember the PERT formula?).
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Situational Questions On The PMP® Exam
09 March, 2014
So you are a project manager and have been for quite some time now. But you have reached the stage when a certificate in project management would be welcome. You may have been missed a promotion because you have no project management accreditation
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Competitive Advantage
07 March, 2014
Is your project relevant? Is there a danger of it being overtaken by events? Is there a new technology out there waiting to make your efforts redundant? How do you maintain a competitive advantage?
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The Order of Business
02 March, 2014
If you are studying for the PM, process groups are difficult to understand. This article will clear up the confusion.
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Organizations
28 February, 2014
We all work in organizations, but how do they work? This article looks at organizations from a variety of perspectives.
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Getting Projects Right
23 February, 2014
Confused by validation and verification? This article should help to understand the differences.
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Career Paths for Project Managers
20 February, 2014
Even if you are not a project manager, a project management qualification can be of benefit.
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Words of Wisdom for Project Managers
18 February, 2014
A synopsis of Tom Gilb's book Principles of Software Engineering Management. It has a lot to offer Project Managers.
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The Dangers of Crashing
17 February, 2014
Crashing a schedule - adding more resources to it - can leave you worse off than having to do with too few resources.
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Valentine's Day: A Project Management Perspective
14 February, 2014
A humorous look at Valentine's Day from a project management perspective. Basically it is a hard deadline in a romance project.
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Resource Optimization: A Good Idea?
12 February, 2014
Many companies believe in "sweating their assets". Are they right to do so? This piece reflects on how best to employ scarce resources.
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Risk Analysis with Failure Mode and Effect Analysis
10 February, 2014
Explains how the FMEA approach corresponds to Project Risk Management in PMP training.
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Studying for the PMP®
07 February, 2014
Are you preparing for the PMP exam? Then what is involved in the PMP exam and what is the best way to approach it?
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PMP® or PRINCE2?
05 February, 2014
Today's Project Managers need professional accreditation, but should you opt for PMP or PRINCE2 certification?
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Project Management Feasibility Studies
03 February, 2014
An overview of how to conduct a feasibility study before embarking on a project.
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Dealing with Problem People (Part 3)
30 January, 2014
This is the third and final part of our study of problem behaviours, based on Peter Honey's research.
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Dealing with Problem People (Part 2)
28 January, 2014
The second of three parts, exploring Peter Honey's different types of problem behaviours.
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Dealing with Problem People (Part 1)
26 January, 2014
The first of three parts, this article describes different types of problem behaviour in the workplace.
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Project Management: Coping with Culture
23 January, 2014
As our workplaces become more diverse, it is important for project managers to appreciate cultural differences.
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Organizational Process Assets
21 January, 2014
Follwig up on Enterprise Environmental Factors, this article explains Organizational Process Assets
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Enterprise Environmental Factors
17 January, 2014
Enterprise Environmental Factors contribute to many project management processes. Find out more about them here.
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Marking the PMP® Exam
15 January, 2014
This piece describes the Project Management Professional exam structure and how it is marked.
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PMP® Exam Simulator (Part 2)
13 January, 2014
This continues the description of the Velopi Project Management Professional Exam Simulator
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PMP® Exam Simulator (Part 1)
10 January, 2014
Become match fit for the PMP exam: use the Velopi PMP Exam Simulator. This is the first of two articles describing how Velopi can prepare you for the actual PMP exam.
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Conflict Resolution for Project Managers
08 January, 2014
This article discusses conflict resolution using the techniques recommended by the Project Management Institute.
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Project Management the QQI Way
06 January, 2014
Here the QQI component certificate in project management option is presented as a possible alternative to thhe CAPM project management certification.
